Arsenal Transfer News: Petit Calls Time on Martinelli and Madueke
Emmanuel Petit, a former Arsenal and France midfielder, delivered a frank assessment on talkSPORT‘s White and Jordan show, identifying wingers as the critical gap in Arsenal‘s squad. Petit argued that Arsenal require strong, technically gifted wide players capable of changing games consistently, something he feels the current options simply fail to provide. He singled out Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke as players the club should sell, and further suggested Gabriel Jesus also needs replacing. Trossard earned a reprieve in Petit’s view, but overall, the former midfielder pushed for significant attacking surgery, calling for a striker with pace, movement, and technical quality to lead the line. The comments carry extra significance given Petit’s own playing history at the club.
The context behind his words matters enormously. Martinelli has scored just one Premier League goal this season and has struggled to nail down the left-wing spot consistently, despite better returns in European competition. Meanwhile, Petit pointed out that Saka endured a difficult injury-hit campaign, leaving Arsenal dangerously dependent on individuals rather than quality across the board.
“I think it’s easy to know what Arsenal are missing, for me it’s wingers. You need to have strong and powerful wingers with technical skills that can make a difference on the wings. For me, the likes of Martinelli, Jesus. Gyokeres – I don’t know because he just came into the club. Trossard, I would keep him. Madueke, for me, isn’t good enough. I’m sorry to say that, but he must do much more than that to improve. But we definitely need wingers and probably one striker with pace, technical skills, and great movement. We need to improve up front.”
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Should Arsenal Listen to Petit on Arsenal Transfer News?
Honestly, yes, at least in part. The numbers back Petit up more than sentiment does. Arsenal are reportedly prepared to sanction Martinelli’s departure for around £50 million this summer, which signals that the club themselves accept his long-term future at the Emirates is uncertain. Reports from Fabrizio Romano confirm Arsenal are targeting at least three signings, with a top winger listed as the clear priority, and names such as Bradley Barcola, Nico Williams, Morgan Rogers, and Rafael Leao all feature in their planning.
Madueke’s position is harder to judge after just one season, yet the broader point stands. Arsenal reached the Champions League final this season, and that level of competition demands match-winning wide players every single week.
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The Arsenal Transfer News Reality This Summer
Trossard himself is reportedly likely to leave the club, with Napoli showing strong interest in the Belgian ahead of the summer window. So rather than Petit’s view being ruthless, it actually aligns with what Arsenal appear to be planning quietly behind the scenes. The club need to act decisively in this Arsenal transfer news cycle, because a squad with this much Champions League pedigree deserves wide players who settle debates rather than fuel them.